


Cardinal Sins

by Ace_of_Butterfly



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attraction, Conflict, Demon Deals, Demon/Human Relationships, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Psychological Torture, Sins, Smut, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-07-28 16:54:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7648966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ace_of_Butterfly/pseuds/Ace_of_Butterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Red is the color of life. It's blood, passion, rage. Beginnings and violent ends. Red is the color of love. Beating hearts and hungry lips. Roses. Red is the color of shame. Crimson cheeks and spilled blood. Broken hearts, opened veins. Red can be everything yet it can be nothing."</i>
</p><p>Demons are about obedience. Humans are about themselves. Akatsuya and Gaara are about neither. They could be about each other, but her only passion is revenge. And the only thing more powerful than revenge is what she could become because of it, the power deep inside her, after everything goes red. In red, however, the wheels turn and suddenly, revenge is not the sole reason to pay the price for freeing him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I : Occursus

**Author's Note:**

> **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**  
>  Okay, first things first, if you ever stumbled upon Red by E.J Koh you can see I got 20% inspired by it and used big parts from its summary. However, this story doesn't follows Red's plot so the only things I used from E.J Koh's novel are some minimal aspects and heavy inspiration into the summary. Secondly, this is like an experimental story and new genre for me so no flames please! The idea came to me out of nowhere when I saw some fanarts.  
> Warning for: creepy demonic shit(I'm making everything up because I don't really know how real stuff work so- XD), lemons, gore, OOCness(but hopefully not, I'm trying to keep everyone as IC as possible).

_❝Gonna paint it red, get inside your head_  
_Like a demon choir playing with fire.❞_

______________________________________

"I don't think this is a good idea..."

"C'mon, Naruto. You know these stuff aren't real so what can go wrong?"

"Well, what if it's real this time!"

"Uh huh. As real as when Sakura tried vampire spells from the internet." Akatsuya suppressed a laugh when the mentioned pinkette whined.

"Damn! That was gold!" Naruto broke into laughter, pointing at Sakura. "You should've seen your face! You were whispering that latin poem as if you were waiting for the world to crash open and swallow you whole! And--"

"Shut up, Naruto!" The female punched his arm in embarrasement, stomping her way forward. Akatsuya chuckled, following whilst yanking a grumbling Naruto by the arm.

"You guys should stop joking around." Sakura admonishes, leading the way down the nighttime street guided by lamp posts. "I get it, internet spells are fake crap, I had my fair share and I'm sick of it, but Lady Chiyo is... a real witch. She works with the real stuff and as much as I'm a black magic enthusiast I'd never try her rituals. Never."

"See!" The blond halts his steps with a pointed stare, jabbing his finger in Akatsuya's direction. "I told you so! Damnit, why don't you listen to me, huh? If you're going to get possessed by some freaky spirit or start rolling your eyes in the back of your head like a creep I'm taking you to a church, alright!"

"I still don't believe anything will happen, idiot." the brown haired girl rolls her eyes, shrugging.

"You'll see for yourself..." Sakura sighs as they neared a house in a secluded neighbourhood. "We're here." She announces and knocks on the door thrice. No longer than a minute later the door opened, revealing an old woman with a stern but somehow welcoming face.

"Ah, Sakura, come in, come in. You brought guests too..."

"Uh- one guest and one client actually." She chuckles, steping aside to introduce her friends after they entered the dimly lighted house. "This is Naruto, he's here just to watch so ignore him. And this is Akatsuya, requesting that you help her to summon a demon."

"Hello, lady Chiyo." Akatsuya bows. "I look forward to your services."

"Child, demons are the bane of our existence. They do nothing but rip us - humans - to shreds. They steal our humanity and life in exchange for sweet lies and dead promises. Why must you put that to the test?"

She was taken aback by the lady's sudden bitting words. It sounded as though this woman, Chiyo, had seen enough. Still, Akatsuya would not let that get in her way.

Naruto and Sakura did not know her true purpose of wanting to get in contact with a demon. She almost felt bad for lying to them but she couldn't spill the truth either. She wasn't curious, maybe just normally, not overly curious - who wouldn't be? - and her reason to want such a dangerous wish fulfiled had been a long conceived desire. Revenge. She needed a demon to help her exact revenge on a certain someone.

"But aren't we the ones who allow them to steal from us?" She instead spoke cooly, searching her brain for any usefull theories to bribe Chiyo into believing her to be well versed in the art of darkness. "As much as I've read around the Devil can't force us into doing something. It is us who let our guarding walls crumble to embrace the intruders and give them power within our reign. Why? Because after all, humanity is already broken. We do nothing but seek an alleviating medicine and unfortunately, the only medicine we can afford is numbing poison, sometimes."

Chiyo frowned, a sigh echoing in silence. Shaking her head, the woman dropped the topic and led them into a room which looked like some sort of puppetry workshop, intriguing puppets and dolls hanging on the walls and from the ceiling, glass vials with colored liquids on a desk and a table in the corner. Naruto shuddered lightly when he spied a skull in the corner, not sure whether it was real or fake. Candles, big and small, lettered the surroundings, giving the macabre ambient a fiery air of invitation.

"Couldn't she do the spells during the day?" The male whispered to Sakura. "It's freaking midnight and this place creeps me out."

"Black magic doesn't really go well with daylight, stupid. Demons like to lurk better at night." The pink head retorted.

"I once had a grandson." Chiyo begun talking as she occupied herself with lighting more candles.

"His parents were murdered when he was little. After that everything changed. As he grew up he isolated himself from everyone else. One day, after years, I found him here. I never let him in and I always made sure the door was locked but he managed to get in, strangely..." Chiyo blew a melted candle off, grabbing a new one.

"He told me - _"I know what you do in here, grandmother. I want you to give me a friend."_ \- and I figured out what he meant by that, and that he lied; he wanted no friend, he craved for eternity, through a demon. I reffused and the next day he was gone. Sasori went missing for months..."

The three watched the lady's sorrowful expression, entirely immersed into her story.

"Turns out he fled the city with some of my spell books. Later on, he appeared again, always around but never in the same place constantly. He was no longer human. Sasori decoded my books and symbols to summon a demon himself. Then he sell his soul in exchange for immortality and created demon puppets to control out of humans whose souls he stole."

Sakura was looking down. Naruto shifted behind her and Akatsuya with a grim look. The girl's hand gripped around her arm, clutching her skin through the fabric of her jacket. She wondered if her path would turn out similar; what if her goal will require giving up on her soul just like Sasori's situation? The circumstances were different yet Chiyo's story did make her re-think her choice a bit.

"I told you this in hopes that you will change your mind..."

She could. No, she should. Akatsuya realized how easy it would be to avoid the corrupting shadows of her soon to be journey - halfway unbeknownst to her - and step back, safe and sound. Nonetheless, there was no turning back and she was determined to put an end to her wandering years of pain others were strangers of. She had to.

"I'm sorry, lady Chiyo." She smiles slightly. "I really wish to do this."

"Very well." The woman nodded and walked in the center of the room, bending to grab on the tatami splayed upon the wooden floorboards, pulling it aside.

"Is that...?" Naruto trailed off dumbly, his eyes fixed on the circular shape inked into the floor with symbols rotating in a perfect circle around the round line.

"The Spheric Seal? Yes." Chiyo took a scroll, unfurling it. It was long, the old paper inside filled with writing and other marks and runes, some in kanji, others in foreign, forgotten languages.

"Child, kneel inside the circle."

To say she was struck by the extremity of this would be an understatement. The girl's heartbeat increased unconsciously and she did as told with the taste of lingering fear on the tip of her tongue. Once she was seated comfortably on her knees, the black inky circle and symbols cornering her, Chiyo rolled the scroll around the round shape drawn, creating a second layer of kanji and letters glaring at the young woman, akin to a fence. Soon after the lady returned with five boxes made of translucent glass, colored in red, blue, green, yellow and brown; she set them down in front of the female, opening the cap of each box one by one.

The red box had leafs in it and in the blue one mist like fog seemed to wave inside. The green one held sand within it whilst the yellow box's contents were like smoke, yet in a grey sort of cloud puffing up. Lastly, the brown box sheltered small rocks.

"Do not touch anything." Chiyo warned immediately at the sight of Akatsuya's hand extending torwards the mist box with curiousity. She retracted her arm, giving the old woman a questioning glance.

"You're not supposed to choose your element and demon. Demons of all five elements will feel your energy when the ritual begins; only one of them will awaken at your presence. He or she will choose you."

"Hey, Aka-chan?" Naruto called from a nearby chair he found and sat on.

"What do you want?" She deadpans.

"Can you change your mind? For me? Please?"

"No." The girl glared.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Are you sure? Like, really, _really_ sure?"

"Yes, damnit!"

"No, but, listen--"

"Quit annoying her, Naruto!" Sakura intervenes, kicking his foot. "You heard what she said so stop trying to convince her otherwise."

"Oh, I'm sorry for worrying about my bestfriend. How silly of me, huh?" The blond laughs sarcastically, infuriated. "What if she gets hurt or worse - dead?! Huh?!"

"That will not happen. Demons do not kill the humans that free them." Chiyo assured.

"Look, Naruto, I know how you feel." Akatsuya sighs, looking up at the male. "I would react similarly too, trust me, but you need to understand that I won't get hurt."

"How do you know that?!"

"Okay, I'll treat you to three meals at Ichiraku's if you shut up."

"...well, I- ..."

"Ugh, just say yes and let me get this done."

"Fine." Naruto gave in, crossing his arms, figuratively puffing steam off his nostrils. "I'm not that kind of friend to trade your safety on food or other things, Aka-chan. I let you bribe me because I'm too nice..."

"Yeah, yeah, because you love free ramen. Pfft." She scoffs, nodding afterwards. "And I'm aware, you're not my closest friend for nothing."

"You better be." He offers his bright grin, usual brightness returning over his features. Turning to Chiyo, chuckling, Naruto says: "Don't mind our drama. Akatsuya and I are kinda like brother and sister - not blood related, just really close friends. If she's determined to do this then I guess I can't stop her..."

Chiyo nodded. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Good. Remember: whatever you see during the encounter, keep it to yourself. You mustn't tell anybody what you speak with your demon or what you see."

She nods. Akatsuya remained silent as the older lined candles around her, completing the cycle of round lines. Once done, Chiyo kneeled in front of her, her hands moving, fingers tangling in intricate seals; words fell mute, flickers of candles fluttering.

"What's happening?" Naruto stood from the chair the instant violent wind pushed inside through the opened window, blowing like a distorted flute. The candles's flames raised, swaying, Chiyo's recital of a barely audible spell fastening.

"I think it works-" Akatsuya breathed out. She isn't one to be easly scared usually though the moment the sand from the green box started floating in the air as if it had a mind of itself she lost it. Her stomach was twisting in knots and her eyes widened. The sand appeared to detect her hidden fear as it swirled in spirals which extended into countless other patterns, multiplying its quantity to the point a harmless handfull of grains became a miniatural tornado; her anxienty, it wasn't too evident but enough for the entity behind the sand to feed off on her inner torment.

"Naruto, don't." Sakura outstretched her arm in front of him, blocking his way by the time he intended to march over to the circle.

"What do you mean _don't_?! This is bad! We can't let it continue--"

Yet it happened. A sharp intake of air escaped Akatsuya's lips due to the sand traveling around her neck out of nowhere, not tight to choke her tho enough to startle and make her shiver. It felt cold and semi-rough, slowly climbing onto her skin like a languid serpent.

"What--"

She didn't get to finish for her vision blurred, reality turning to black nothingness. The numb nihility then shook, a tremendous falling motion of emptiness underneath of her and suddenly, she was collapsing down, somewhere, thru the obscure blankness. Next, a thud. A wince. Weak light. Bracing herself to stand up with a moan of mild pain, Akatsuya opened her eyes, preparing to--

She nearly screamed at the view of a beast baring its teeth in her face, frantically pulling herself backwards on her butt, swinging her arms in front of her madly, in an attempt to kick the creature away.

"What. The. Hell! Fuck!" She cursed, breathing harshly.

"Who would have thought... It's been awhile since we last had visitors, right Gaara? And a damn funny one too." A gruff, inhuman voice echoed with raucous laughter, causing Akatsuya to pay attention to her surroundings. The creature from earlier - and the same who spoke - turned out to be a racoon dog like beast with dark markings all over its sandy fur. She frowned.

"You think this is funny?" The brunette spat. "I'm not here for your entertainment, you talking freak."

"My, my, aren't you a big, foul mouth?" The racoon dog sneered gruffly, shadowed pupils narrowing evilly. With a threatening purr he ascended, most likely aiming to target her and sink its sharp teeth into her flesh had it not been for a pale hand clasping onto his fur.

"Shukaku, no."

A new voice. This one was raspy and low though it was nothing like the beast's - Shukaku's. Akatsuya's eyebrows furrowed and she felt compelled to let her sight trace the source of the hand coaxing Shukaku to plop back down. From his pale skin and lean yet firm figure, the cardinal scarlet robe of silk donned over a black dress shirt and pants of the same color, she saw an ordinary male, no more, no less. However, the constricting, wilted rose branches - growing out of the wall behind him - wrapped around his neck bruisingly and pricking his partialy revelead chest with their sharp thorned tips coated in dried blood, were proof of his imprisonment. He sat there, waves of sand dancing at his finger's motion, the humble throne like chair underneath him made of sand too. Soon, she looked up, ending her inspection with the man's visage.

A symbol, a scar on the left side of his forhead - the kanji for Love - peeked from beneath dark red hair framing a neutral expression on clear features, bangs almost drapping over heavily rimmed eyes - eyes of stormy jade. Akatsuya couldn't tell what made her stare at him for a good while, if it had to do with his gaze or the fact that - dare she guess - this guy named Gaara was a demon. The demon who chose her. Her demon - how Chiyo would put it.

"I get it. She's not one of the regulars." Shukaku broke off the silence, slumping on his paws, huffing thickly.

"One of the regulars...?" The girl regained her posture, standing up to dust her clothes. Now that she took a look at this place it resembled a primitive cell more than anything. It was some kind of catacombe prison with a few old, huge candles providing poor light. There were skulls and skeletal bones scattered meters away from Shukaku and at left of Gaara rusty shackles and chains rested on the dirty ground. Did it mean Gaara and Shukaku were trapped in here? It sure seemed so.

"Yeah, the regulars. My meals." The beast snapped its large jaws in a crude gesture torwards the pile of bones. "Damn foolish humans who end up here by accident or cursed by others. You, on the other hand, are the first to come down here intentionally. Ah, we get to be free again, at last."

"It doesn't matter." Gaara attracted her attention, tonelessly. "I reject. Go find another demon."

"What?!" She burst. "You were the one who chose me for screaming out loud! I would've been very happy with someone else showing up but oh joy, the witch said I have no say in it!"

"I did not choose you myself, directly. My demonic energy chose you. You have no affinity to the other demons except for me, for some reason."

"Great, just great." Her lips parted in a mock laugh before her orbs fixed on his, fueled by determination. "I reffuse to accept your rejection. If you so happened to be the one I ended up meeting then it happened and you _will_ help me."

The sand hissed and shot forth, seizing Akatsuya and taking her off guard; its movements reflected Gaara's stare, a menacing trail of united grains slithering around her ankles and legs, up, very fastly. She could only gasp when the sand wound around her waist then bypassed her chest for her throat, squeezing.

"Watch your mouth. Bothering a demon to do your dirty work is something; deluding yourself that you can get one to bend at your will is another thing."

"I'm desperate to get your help, okay? Do you seriously think I respect any morals, especially yours? No!" She laughed defiantly, coughing from the lack of oxygen.

"I could kill you right now." Gaara retorted, as matter of factly.

"But you won't." A smirk laced on her lips.

"Because? Enlighten me." he allowed his sand to spare her, eventhough he didn't let go of her completely. His head tilted to the side, as if mocking her.

"Your beast pet said something about freedom thanks to my arrival. I can tell you're a prisoner here, look at you, you don't even make an attempt to rip those thorns off your neck. Isn't it awfull that you have to endure this agony? I'm willing to put an end to it if you just help me, in whatever best way I can. "

"I have no desire to be freed."

"Really? I think you're lying."

"Your opinion has no value to me."

"Why, you--!"

"That's enough." Shukaku dissolved their tiring argument with a loud growl.

"You, girl, should learn your place. If anything ya have to earn Gaara's assistance in whatever petty deal you have going on. And you, Gaara, quit ruining things. You want out of here, I know you do, so stop denying yourself what you want and give her a damn chance. It won't hurt ya to hear her out." Shukaku purred in a hum. "She deserves atleast that for being so gutsy." The beast barked a snort.

Gaara appeared to ponder, his features hardening as he sighed; a minute later the sand withdrew, his ringed eyes watching her every move.

"What is it that you want?"

"Revenge." She replied, pressingly. "The person I'm after is impossible to find, in my current state, that is. I've searched though I lack the necessary resources to extend my investigation in other cities and out of the country so I thought this would be an option to enhance my possibility to achieve my goal. To not mention each of my search trials hit a dead end." Akatsuya looks down, unsure if things will ever go well for her. When her explanation was met with silence, dread weighted her down even more. Ofcourse, she could attempt to persuade Gaara into offering his help for the second time, tho he could easly brush her off or--

Her train of conspiracies faded away under the effect of surprise caused by fingers of sand wrung around her wrist. Akatsuya looked up, noting the sand's malice no longer present, and she saw two other hands, one carrying a crystal cup and the other going for her already captive hand. One of its fingertips turned sharp, a needle of sand pricking her index digit; a sting erupted where her finger shed a few drops of blood, cleanly falling into the cup held by the other hand.

"What are you doing?" She asks once the sand retracted, the cup directed in Gaara's grasp.

"Procedure." came his casual reply.

"For what?"

"Our bond. I'll help you with your task in exchange for you freeing me."

"That's it? No soul sealing? Possession? Anything, like...I don't know- creepier?" the girl eyed him suspiciously.

Her reaction made him amused. Gaara shook his head, smirking faintly. "What's your name?"

"Akatsuya. Akatsuya Kazami."

"Go back and don't look for me again. I'll come to you myself."

She opened her mouth to speak yet she got rendered unable to as Gaara waved his hand in a dismissing manner, the dark room spinning in her vision furiously. Her breath came in and out hoarse with each haphazard image passing by her and the last she registered before the blackness took over was Gaara's pale emerald gaze and crimson blooming a small stain thru the glass cup. The red swirled with obscurity and she felt once again as if she were falling off a cliff, untill...

"Aka-chan!"

Her eyelids fluttered open tiredly, cold sweat clinging to her skin. Akatsuya wasn't ready for a worried Naruto throwing himself at her in a bone crushing hug and she huffed breathlessly, slapping him on the back repeatedly.

"Get off, dumbass."

"Are you alright?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She pulled away quickly, almost stumbling backwards. She noticed Chiyo gathering the ritual items to put them in their rightful places and Sakura standing by the sidelines, smiling warily.

"Let's go! I'm never ever going to step in a witch's house!" Naruto declared and strutted to the front door, leaving the girls behind. Akatsuya still resembled a dizzy feeling person who just climbed out of a plane flying upside down; she forced herself to laugh it off and pay Chiyo then she exited the house with Sakura.

"So?" The pinkette questioned expectantly.

Out of instinct, checking for a proof somehow, the hazel haired girl glanced at her finger under the light of a lamp post. There it was: a minuscle dot of dried blood covering pierced skin.

"It's real... Demons are real." Her eyes met Sakura's, eventhough she wasn't exactly looking at her friend and rather at nothing in particular; Gaara's face continued to haunt her subconscious, on and on.


	2. II : Redimiculum

_❝You've got no place to hide_  
_And I'm feeling like a villain, got a hunger inside.❞_

______________________________________

_"Aren't ya excited to go back in the human world?"_

_"Not particularly."_

_"What about the girl? I'd say be careful, Gaara. If you kill her your freedom ends and you'll be condemned for breaking one of the Pact Commandments which says - **Every demon who dare bring death upon the human who freed them is thereby violating the pact rules and must be exiled in Yomi no Kuni for one thousand years.**."_

_He shook his head, giving no response to Shukaku's mocking scorn. Instead, the red head busied himself with the crystal cup in his hand, watching as the tiny amount of blood in it started to dry up a bit. He had no time left to spend in this underground catacombe. Thanks to Akatsuya, Gaara would be free to roam the world again and Shukaku could simply reside within the male's inner confinments, amplifying his power and, unfortunately, the appetite to kill. It came with ups and downs, of which Gaara felt half satisfied and half repulsed. Yet, there was no denying; he wanted to be free and that girl appeared when he least expected it to pull the gates of the underworld open, offering him the escape into her world without even knowing what he can do once inside it. And for what? Revenge. It was disgusting, sad and miserable at the same time, the anger, hate and sorrow he could almost smell into her smokey, cracked soul - all broken glass and crumpled paper under acidic rain, so fragile but sharp and poisonous._

_"I won't be the cause of her demise." He finally spoke, absentmindedly. "Akatsuya will destroy herself and if that's what she wants me to help her with then so be it."_

_With that Gaara brought the crystal cup to his lips, tilting it backwards to let the minuscle amount of her blood into his mouth. Due to that, in the blink of an eye, the needed change occured. The rose thorns and branches once clawing at his skin and throat uncoiled as if touched by corrosive substance, retracting into the wall before new ones grew out, green, fresh and lively, red roses blooming through emerald leafs on the spot._

_The sand at Gaara's feet swirled and Shukaku's form became a beam of energetic wind, like a pulsing circuit of force, a shadowy malevolent light, its presence being absorbed within the red headed male's body, the demon's entity settling back to reside within the deep, dark recesses of his host's inner persona._

_The empty cup crashed against the opposite wall, shards flying everywhere; Gaara breathed harshly, eyes darkening. With Shukaku back inside of him and no longer weakened by the poisoned thorns inflicting his skin and sheding their venom into his flesh, the male felt his whole being overwhelmed by power and strength, its tingling essence traveling throughout his limbs. The sand around him seemed to grow in intensity too, waves of it rotating around him faster, stronger._

_He took the red robe of silk off and threw it on top of the huge candles burning, seeing as the fabric caught fire. Gaara then turned around and walked over to the gates made of metal bars which were acting as the entrance in the underground catacombe. It took a mere snap of his sand to unhige them and as he struck the bars breaking them in half they collapsed at his feet. The demon steped over them and disappeared into the darkness, sand hissing under his footsteps._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Gaara stood in front of an apartment's door, clad in casual clothes: a pair of dark colored jeans, a shirt and a jacket matching the color of his pants. He appeared to be calm yet the manner he knocked on the door told otherwise, knuckles almost pressing into the wood too hard. It didn't take long and the door was slowly opened, a mousy haired girl with short hair and brown-blackish eyes revealing herself, a look of astonishment and fear marring her features._

_"G-Gaara-kun...you...you're back..."_

_"Hello, Matsuri." He said in his usual voice, though malice practically oozed off his aura._

_Matsuri seemed to pick up on his intentions and she immediately made to snap the door closed in his face. His sand was too fast and she found herself stumbling backwards when a trail of grains slipped inside, forcing the door wide open, causing it to slam against the wall._

_"Please...don't." Matsuri breathed in, lifting her gaze to disclosure the macabre glint into her orbs, in hopes to drive him away. Gaara wasn't in the least bothered by her own demonic aura tho. After all, Matsuri was still young and untalented within the art of controling her gifts as a demon, and besides, whatever she knew to do up to this point had been taught by Gaara himself. If he so much as wanted he could even read her thoughts by anticipating her gestures and attempts to defend herself; her eyes were open windows for him and he explored her emotions, figuring out important details. Like the detail that right now she wasn't alone in this apartment and whoever was in that bedroom she shielded meant something to her. But Gaara could feel it was filthy and not emotionally sincere - the link between her and that male presence. A lover of the sexual type perhaps._

_"I want my mother's bangle back. It doesn't belong with you." The red head's raspy voice demanded bluntly yet calmly, pale jade eyes boring into Matsuri's._

_"Gaara, please, you don't have to do this..." Matsuri sighed, stealing glances at the bedroom door to make sure her human companion wouldn't awaken. "I'm sorry for what I did. I love you, Gaara-kun. You know you're the one who will always have my heart."_

_"Your heart is empty and dead, Matsuri..." The demon stated, his tone sharpening mildly. "Your love was a lie. You made me love you by sealing your soul to a stronger demon than I. So he could influence and fabricate my emotions and sway me in your way. Because of you I broke rules of our kind..." He advanced torwards her, sand accompanying his low words with trails of anger. "Because of you I was exiled..." Gaara towered over her, cornering the younger against the wall. "Because of you my mother's sacred bangle lays in dirty hands. In your hands."_

_Matsuri gasped when restraints of sand circled her legs and arms, faltering her movements. Still, she didn't give in._

_"I don't care, Gaara! I love you and I will keep that bracelet so long as we exist. You and I, we belong to each other!"_

_Hissing sand floated about at her hushed yells, storming around Gaara. His eyes were cold, one hand hooking under her chin to grip it in between his fingers, face lowering to pin her with his stare, a deadly air emmiting from him._

_"I want that bangle back. Now. I can assure you, Matsuri, that if you don't give the bracelet to me... **you're going to regret it**."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Blood was everywhere. A scream pierced the obscurity of the night from somewhere into an alley, a last gasp of death echoing. The crimson stained the walls, the ground, the victim's clothes. Sand laced its strands through the blood, soaking in it, sucking it in; it became non-existent as it disappeared within the sand which fed off on it, absorbing the vital liquid to nothingness. Then the sand climbed over the body, gathering on the dead man's chest, encasing the pulsating area on the brink of going lifeless. An invisible mist arose, leaving the body, and the sand latched onto it instantly. It was the soul of the human. Just like the blood, the puff of a last breath fell prey to the sand too._

_The demon breathed in, exhaling afterwards. He tossed his head back, to face the moon up there, red locks drapping to the sides of his forhead, his Love symbol glistening in the night, as if velvet energy fueling his very own personal demon mark._

_There was no mistaking it. He was Gaara._

_Sabaku no Gaara had been freed into the human world._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Akatsuya joltet awake, mild sweat clinging to her skin. A shiver ran up her spine and she tried calming down her breath as she brushed strands of hair off her face. It was just a nightmare - she told herself. Yet it felt so real, as if she's been there, forced in the shadows of darkness to watch the events unfold under her eyes.

**01:36 AM**

She returned her phone on the nightstand after checking the time and rested back down, eyelids closing. She tried thinking of something, anything, to help her fall asleep; it didn't work. All she could see over and over again was Gaara's face, blood and more blood.

"Damnit..." the girl threw the covers off her and went into the kitchen to drink water. No matter what she could not fall back asleep and whilst she gulped a full glass of water, Akatsuya decided she needed fresh air. She knew the city could be dangerous at night, no doubt, although she didn't intend to stray too far from her apartment complex. There was a park across the street so it shouldn't be all that risky - the young woman surmised as she pulled on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, exiting her apartment and minutes later she was outside.

Konoha is well admired as a city of enjoyable ambient during day time, combining a vastly conquering natural environment with high quality modernism. The mixture, contradictory yet strikingly beautiful, has been widely appreciated throughout its different citizens, attractions and businesses; that has to do with how the city looks like in the sparks of light. During night time, it seems as though the scenary would drastically change. The dark corrupts every corner and crack of the tall constructions and other patches of greenness, sleep reigning over the occupants out of which a few still linger out and about. And those few are no good; killers strike sometimes, at the most of particular occasions. Otherwise, the streets are simply infected with doings of the underground society - only places sheltering prostitutes and their lust driven customers circling open and flashing neons, drunkards and vagabonds seeking sloppy deragement stumbling here and there whilst a less known majority spreads drugs amongst teenagers lost on blurry ends and concealed affairs with stitched mysteries and risks. That's Konoha - a lazy, expensive dirt cycle of chattered chaos hiding behind the curtains of a decent and invitingly neat empire.

She was right about being safe on her small walk into the park, though she couldn't shake off a crawling bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. There was no one around and the indecent, depraved parts of the city were quite farther from her apartment complex and this park. She got what she wanted, fresh air and the calming breeze of night; what she didn't want, this feeling, had come along too. Akatsuya sighed and turned around from one of the paths into the park to return home and--

"Going somewhere?"

She froze at the man who blocked her way, almost as if he appeared in front of her suddenly. The brunette's eyes narrowed and she stepped back, only to feel a second presence behind her. There was something about them...something dark. As though they were not humans.

"You're coming with us." The second male ordered, latching on her arm.

"What the hell?! Let me go!" Akatsuya burst, a surge of adrenaline coaxing her to be brave into turning around to punch the man in the nose. She winced, holding her hand. Having not been experienced in fighting it sure wasn't too wise to ram her fist recklessly in a guy's face, tho the result was satisfying: not only did he let her go but his nose also bled.

"Bitch!" The first man roared and charged torwards the girl, fist swinging upwards, ready to--

She was about to shield herself with her arms from the incoming hit when, out of nowhere, a wall of sand raised in front of her protectively, welcoming the attacker to hit the hard surface with a growl of pain.

"Gaara..." Akatsuya murmured, breath hittched from the panic and adrenaline mixed together thanks to her current predicament. Upon looking around, the girl spoted him nearby, hand lifted in mid air to control the sand through his movements.

"No way..." the guy who still held his nose muttered. He didn't get a chance to warn his partner of who Gaara really was because the next moment sand shot forth, encasing his body within it. The man screamed as cracks of bones could be heard, losing his last breaths when the sand let his bloody, battered body collapse.

"Why are you here." Gaara stated questioningly as soon as his sand captured the remaining male. "...after her? Who sent you?"

"I don't know! I swear I have no idea! It was a guy wearing a black cloak, he didn't show his face to us! He- He said we need to get him the girl! That's all I know, please--"

Akatsuya's eyelids flew closed shut involuntarily at the few drops of blood that splashed her cheek, a grimace of disgust and anxienty crossing her features. Gaara had killed the man on the spot and she had been unlucky to be in close proximity to the victim.

"Thanks...I guess..." she gritted, glaring at him. First of all he was the subject of her nightmares just hours ago and secondly, after he had the audacity to kill the guy so messily, the demon looked at her with something akin to amusement and neutrality.

"These men..." Gaara's languidly raspy voice carried to her as he walked over, his hand going for her face with uncertainty and hesitation. "They weren't humans. They were demons."

She flinched slightly at the touch of his fingerstips on her cheek; the red head took the liberty to wipe the small stains of blood off, slowly, as if he wanted to memorize the texture of her skin under his digits. For Gaara it was both impulsively and unconsciously, a possessive inclination to keep her safe; it contradicted with his lack of affinity to skinship and humane interactions. He deemed it a product of the bond they now shared, although it had yet to be completed; he's got Akatsuya's blood within his system to always be aware of her whereabouts and overall state from its link. She'd soon need his into her body to strengthen and enhance that bond, as well as to receive Gaara's demonic mark as his protégé. Only then it'll be complete.

"I see. No wonder they gave off a strange vibe." She comments, finding herself staring into his pale teal orbs.

"Someone is after you. We need to find out who."

"Right." The female ran a hand thru her hair exasperatedly. "Wait- why? Like...why would some mysterious guy send two demons to get me? And if they were demons does it mean he's a--"

"Demon, yes. I think it has to do with me..." Gaara interjected.

"Obviously. I should've expected that." She rolls her eyes. "I'm just going to...go home..." Akatsuya pointed behind her, pondering a bit before adding an invitation: "Do you want to come?"

Gaara nodded. He figured it'd be a good opportunity to try and get her to consume his blood, even if it'll be intrusive to slip some in her drink, or food; the thing is he didn't want to tell her about the process of completing their bond so he had to go the hard way, without lying, which he disliked to do. If she'd hear how the mark will cause her pain before settling under her skin she might reffuse and the red head would not let her get away untill this task could be cleared off their list.

The dark of the night and the city lights did a good job in aiding Akatsuya as she subtly stole glances at Gaara. They were exiting the park side by side and she was starting to notice certain aspects. Like how mysteriously handsome he looked under the shadows of obscurity yet at the same time so unreachable. The Kazami shook her head, focusing on returning to her apartment. Once inside she led Gaara in the kitchen.

"I'm going to make myself a tea. Want some?"

"Tea would be nice." The male responded, already planning to slip his blood into her tea. The problem was...how to do so without Akatsuya seeing and--

"I'm gonna wash my face from that guy's blood. I'll be right back." The brunette announced after she'd set the kettle to boil, going for the bathroom - the chance Gaara needed.

She felt strange having Gaara in her home and the silence between them did nothing but to thicken the tension within. Besides, she had to get away from him for a bit, in hopes to call a friend.

Hinata had been her bestfriend ever since and while Naruto could be her closest friend and male bestfriend slash almost like a brother, the Hyuuga girl had to be labeled as her female bestfriend. Sweet, caring and kind - some of the traits she's made of and how she got herself to work as a babysitter, though Akatsuya got annoyed at the family who hired Hinata to look after their little kids, twins. They were always on business trips, leaving the young babysitter to deal with their children's cry at night many times - which she could bet it'd be the case tonight too.

Akatsuya closed the bathroom's door behind her, taking her phone out with a sigh. After a few rings, true to her assumption, Hinata's calm voice echoed on the other line.

"Aka-chan, why are you up at this ungodly hour?! Is something wrong?"

"Oh, quit acting like such a nagging mom, Hina." The brown haired girl chuckled. "It's, well...I sort of want to talk about something. But first, tell me about you. Are the brats still giving you trouble?"

A sigh could be heard from Hinata. "Hana is such a dear and she's really quite usually, though at night her tummy hurts sometimes so she cries a lot, poor her. Her brother, Sen, is another story. He's fine mostly yet he's made a habit of sleeping more during day time and then he wakes up in the middle of the night. I really wish Mrs. Matsumoto would be here with them instead of leaving so much on business trips...A mother should personally take part in her toddler's life, I'd say..."

"Damn, I agree. Either way, this is crazy! I hate your job! Bet you don't get that much sleep too."

"It's alright, I sleep on my free days a lot and over daytime. Now, Aka-chan, tell me what's troubling you. Is it a nightmare?"

"Yes and no." Akatsuya silenced her voice slightly. "I can't tell you exactly how it is..." she trailed off. "Trust me, I'd tell you everything, although I'm sure it's for the best not to. Just listen to my rant, okay? That's all I need, to let it out, somehow..."

"I understand...If you say so, then go ahead. I won't question you, Aka-chan. Also, remember, I'm always here when you need someone to talk to." Hinata assured sincerly.

"Thank you, Hina." Akatsuya nodded to herself, thinking how to tell Hinata about Gaara without giving away names, appearances. Or the reason behind her wish to meet a demon.

"I did something...something I'm not sure about anymore...You could say it's something bad, nonetheless, I had to. Now there's this guy I've met and he's...odd." No, not odd, just plain murderous; he's a demon - Akatsuya nearly laughed in her mind. If only Hinata knew.

"I don't know how to put it but we made a deal. It doesn't matter what kind of deal. The point is I'm feeling as though I did a mistake...even if this is what I need to help me with some...stuff."

"Has he hurt you? Aka-chan...please answer my question." Hinata's tone became worried.

"Huh? Ah, no, no! He actually protected me from a bunch of creeps. Anyway, he's fine, he won't hurt me, tho I'm having second thoughts. He's dangerous. And I...I kind of want to run away and never look back at the deal I made."

"Aka-chan, you cannot run from consequences and responsibilities. If you did made that deal, whatever it is, it's either you call it quits or lead on. You can't just run away from complications. Why? Because they'll catch up to you and when it does it's going to be worse."

"You're right...yeah..." Akatsuya agreed. "So I keep going. Or quit. Well, I can't quit. I'll just--"

"Do you trust him?"

"What?"

"That guy. Do you trust him?"

"I...I'm not sure." How could she trust Gaara? A demon, on top of that? They were strangers on the path of acquaintances soon to be partners in crime. Nothing more.

"Then don't decide on a whim, even if you need this deal you're speaking of and all, Aka-chan. Get to see if you can trust him, or not. If you do trust him afterwards continue with whatever it is you two are doing. If you can't trust him cut it off, before it's too late. Don't wander in foreign territory. It's going to be your loss, not his."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gaara pulled away from the door, having been discreetly listening in on vivid snippets of Akatsuya's phone conversation with her friend. That girl, Hinata, was smart. She sounded so soft-spoken and delicate yet her words were wise. Gaara could feel himself faltering on the inside at the prospect of trust. No one ever trusted him for he was who he was, or better said what he was, and though he adopted a facade of living in utter ignorance to this, the male had detested his destiny. People were scared of him, no, terrified; people could never trust him, nor did they even tried to; he's been judged as someone who will never be one to be trust worthy - because his demonic nature would crush anyone's trust in him to pieces; someone who will never be able to protect a person - because he'll be the one to inflict the harm; someone who will never be capable to love. Because a monster is bred of hatred, loneliness and misery. Not love.

He wondered if it'll be the same: if Akatsuya will turn out to be like everyone else. If she'll give up on trusting him for the sole reason of finding no trust within him at a first glance. If she'll be blind, like everyone else, to not see that behind the monster he's been made into, Gaara is a lonely, forgotten soul.

Shaking his head to himself, the demon retracted into the kitchen just in time for the boiling tea to be catered to. He heard the bathroom's faucet running which meant he'd have maybe a minute to waste before Akatsuya would be back. Putting his plan in action, Gaara poured the tea in two cups then bit down hard on his thumb, drawing blood. Two drops tumbled within the steaming liquid in Akatsuya's cup and he pushed it aside from his, sitting on a chair. Just as he did so the girl entered the kitchen, eyelashes still damp from washing her face.

"Oh, the tea was overboiling." She concluded. "I guess I took too much in the bathroom." The brunette chuckled lightly, ploping in the chair opposite from his. She nodded as some sort of thanks for he poured the tea in the cups then she brought the warm cup to her lips, unaware of Gaara's gaze fixed on her restlessly. She waited for the tea to cool down mildly, tilting the cup so the aromatic substance touched her lips before sipping some gingerly. Akatsuya repeated the process, letting the warmth of the tea calm her senses, untill...

A sudden pain begun swirling into her body, like a whirl of agony spiraling to channel throughout her every nerve and vein. Akatsuya's breath came in and out in pained gasps, her hands trembling. The cup dropped from her fingers, shattering on the tiled floor as the girl fell over the table, grasping at her chest with anguish.

"W-What...did you...do..." she managed to crack between short, fastened breaths, watching Gaara stand up through half lided eyes, cold sweat breaking on her skin. She felt her insides burning, like lava had been poured down her throat, and breathing hurt, moving hurt, blinking hurt - everything hurt.

"Shh...you'll be alright..." Gaara's voice lowered to a whisper, not exactly comforting since he was inexperienced with comforting someone tho intending to do the part, and he moved over to ease her out of the chair, scooping her limp body in his arms bridal style. The girl shivered, so close to undergoing spasms of pain that it took his sand to keep her in place once he set her on the bed in her bedroom. He stared down at her pale complexion, loosening the sand around her wrists and ankles so it wouldn't hurt her skin. She looked back at him, tired and tortured, lips wavering with the seizures of shivers she had and her eyelids threatening to close. Gaara's palm hesitantly rested upon her forhead, feeling the obnoxious fever she's gotten in a matter of seconds. Regardless, it had to be done.

Akatsuya wiggled against his touch defiantly and glared, even as she was losing her grasp on reality little by little, unconsciousness ready to drown her. It felt similar to death, or worse - it was hard to tell since she's never been on the brink of death to compare - and she wanted the pain to vanish. She wanted to go back in time and fix her mistake, to never make a pact with a demon ever again. She wanted Gaara gone.

"I gave you some of my blood, just like I took yours. It has to be done to form the bond between us. So long as our deal is ongoing you will carry my mark on you..." Gaara spoke and the sand holding her down ceased, his fingers wrapping around her hand to bring it up, revealing her left wrist.

There, in black like ink stood the burning outline of a pulsing tattoo. A mark - his mark. It was the same as the red mark onto his forhead, but in black, and the more the pain started subsiding the more the inky mark became visible, as if it grew out of the pain which had traveled within her body before stabilizing in that symbol. The symbol for Love.

Gaara watched her brown orbs submitting to darkness along with her entire being, her shivering form slumping into the bedsheets unconscious. The sight of her infuriated him yet it rippled in the pits of his mind with shades of bizzare concern and an unbeknownst desire deep down. Her face lighted by the moonlight seeping through the window, her pale skin vulnerable to his gaze. Her chest rising up and down with each breath, her shoulder exposed from beneath the thin hoodie she wore, a subtle strap running over it, from a tank top underneath. He could feel his fingers twitching, limbs stiffening. His vision blurred with the intent to touch her face again and Gaara forced himself to step back, jaw clenching and his breath thickening. He knew then what was happening. Shukaku was taunting him, daring him to destroy this human girl. This human girl who freed him from the underworld prison, this human girl who put an end to his exile. The exile he had been condemned to because of Matsuri.

Akatsuya Kazami had been the first human he made a deal with. The first human to free him. His first human. That's why his permanent defense of sand seemed lenient to let him touch her, that's why he nurtured an excessively possessive urge to protect her. It all hit him and Gaara couldn't help but storm out of her apartment before Shukaku's taunts got the best of him. The beast was wicked and evil, he wanted to see Gaara suffer with him. If Gaara so much as harmed Akatsuya's existence it would be over for him. He will be exiled in Yomi no Kuni this time, the land of the dead, in Hell. In Hell's torture chambers for one thousand years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have nothing against Matsuri but I see her as suitable to be Gaara's ex lover in the story. Also Akatsuya means 'red glow' if you're by any chance wondering and one of the reasons I chose this name is because it sounds and is similar like Akatsuki.


	3. III : Arcana

_❝And I tried to hold these secrets inside me_  
_My mind's like a deadly disease.❞_

______________________________________

"Is this a tattoo?! You got a tattoo!"

"Uh...yeah?"

"When?!"

"Last night?"

"Wait, let me get this straight. You went out, last night, to get a tattoo? Alone? In the middle of the night? What the hell, Akatsuya?! The streets aren't safe at night, damnit!"

"I wasn't alone, Naruto. Calm down."

"Then? You better explain!"

"I was with...a friend." The girl heard herself telling yet another lie, both guilty for keeping secrets from her bestfriend and annoyed at the situation she was currently in. It was supposed to be a mere walk to Ichiraku's to eat then go back home, and Naruto was not supposed to see Gaara's mark engraved on her wrist. Unfortunately, the warm weather prevented the girl from wearing long sleeves and the blond's gaze did fall upon the inky symbol on her skin. She scolded herself for not putting on multiple bracelets to atleast attempt to conceal it.

"Okay, so who's this friend? Sakura? Hinata? Because as far as I'm concerned I don't have a twin and you're an anti-social freak, save for us who put up with you. Ha!" Naruto patted her back to emphasize his true yet playful accusation, though accidentaly applying too much force into it that Akatsuya stumbled forward a bit.

"Uncivilized dumbass." She glared and kicked his shin in return.

"Fu--! Fine, okay, I'm sorry, Aka-chan!" Naruto grumbled and held his leg. "Geez, don't start kicking people like Sakura! Not you too! It's not fair!"

"Stop being such a drama queen, Naruto." Akatsuya rolled her eyes and ruffled his hair, friendly but kind of mean, which only made Naruto push her away with a fakely pained look.

"Aka-chan, you--"

"His name is Gaara." She interrupted abruptly, choosing to spare herself from the male's new set of complaining.

"...he? You have a friend, a _male_ friend other than me and you never mentioned it? And you go with him out in the middle of the night to get a 'Love' tattoo?!"

Akatsuya slammed her face into her palm, sighing as she stood like that momentarily. First she wakes up to no trace of Gaara in her apartment. No note, no nothing. Pity, she wanted so badly to punch him in the face for what he did even if she might not be able to because of his sand. Then she has to deal with Naruto going ballistic on her thanks to his overprotective friend nature, making it sound as if she and Gaara are sneakily more than just friends - which is also a lie, they aren't even friends. Double great.

"Okay, first of all please stop shouting in the middle of the street, Naruto." She pulled him to the side.

"I don't trust him." Naruto crossed his arms defiantly and narrowed his eyes on her.

"Who?"

"This Gaara you talk about."

"Well...that was fast. You didn't even meet him."

"What kind of guy drags a girl out in the middle of the night to get a tattoo, huh? See? No decent guy! I don't trust him to be your boyfrie--"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down Uzumaki. We are not together!" Akatsuya laughed, half in amusement, half in embarrassement at his assumption, and shook him by the shoulders. "I did say he's a friend, didn't I, you moron?"

"Good. I'm not going to let anyone hurt my bestfriend." He seemed to brighten up at that, a grin breaking on his face. "But still. It's kinda _really_ unusual that you make a new friend and keep it a secret. That's so not like you."

Akatsuya chuckled nervously, impressed by the other's ability to detect certain details about her.

"I didn't tell you guys because...uh...Gaara is sort of anti-social just like me but you know, he's a whole lot worse! He refuses to meet new people and just keeps to himself and all the don't-talk-to-me-and-don't-look-at-me jazz. So like, I was waiting to--"

"I need to meet him then. Damn, he reminds me of you in middle school!"

"What?" She raises an eyebrow, atleast grateful that her improvised rambling had changed Naruto's impression of Gaara somehow.

"Yes! Believe it! You were this shy and isolated girl, always being quite, and because of that them classmates misunderstood you and judged you as cold and creepy, it was infuriating! Untill I jumped in and talked to you, ain't that right? 'Course it is!" Naruto puffed his chest proudly, grin still on.

"Yeah." She admited, shaking her head with a small smile. It was oddly nice to reminiscence old times. "It got worse in first year of highschool. The girls called me Witch and started a rumour that I had voodoo dolls in my backpack just because it was black." She laughed.

"That!" Naruto pointed at her, bursting in laughter himself. "The face you made when I told you the whole highschool knew the rumour was priceless!"

"Whatever. Pfft." She pushed his hand away. "Obviously, what did you expect? None of that was true so it got me questioning their brain just a little bit more than on a daily basis." She smirked.

"Seriously, I miss the old times and--"

Naruto was cut off by the ringtone of his phone. Taking it out of his pocket he checked the ID of the caller, his bright look morphing in one of comical fear.

"It's--"

"Your mom." Akatsuya guessed correctly, clapping him on the shoulder encouragingly. "Go on, prepare for the wrath of the one and only Kushina Uzumaki."

"Hey!" Naruto frowned at her grin. "You should be on my side, not hers!"

"I am! It's just funny so what, can't I be her fan?" Came a snicker from Akatsuya.

"Eh, here it goes..." Naruto sighed and answered the phone. Throughout the conversation Akatsuya couldn't help but watch him in amusement. No one wants to get on Kushina's bad side so Naruto himself would walk on eggshells around his mother.

"She wants me to be home in ten minutes because we have to buy groceries since the kitchen is mostly empty." The blond huffed, ending the call.

"Why am I not surprised? You and your mom love ramen, though she can't possibly let your dad foodless so ofcourse you guys need to make actual meals too." Akatsuya chuckled.

"Crap, I need to go, she's going to kill me." Naruto realized a few more minutes passed and he grabbed Akatsuya's arm urgently. "Tonight, 10 PM, at Lotus Paradise, okay? I'll call Sakura and Hinata too and we can hang out like old times."

"Really, Naruto? A club?" She pushed him off, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes because Kiba and Neji work there so let's just say they invited us!" Naruto laughed fakely.

"Nice one. Neji dislikes you and thinks Hinata shouldn't hang out with you and you say he invited us there. Try harder, Naruto."

"Okay, listen. Free drinks for you if you shup up _and_ bring Gaara along."

"...how about no?"

"Too bad. I'll take that as a yes, you're coming for sure Aka-chan!" Naruto smirked and ran off before she could even protest, waving at the brown haired female from the distance.

"Ugh, this guy..." Akatsuya grumbled. She stood there for a bit more, thinking. How was she supposed to find Gaara anyway? They knew each other's names, made a deal, he saw where she lived. Akatsuya? She had no idea where he lives and had no source to find him by: no phone number or address. Unconsciously, she lifted her left hand to stare at the black mark upon her wrist, the Love kanji glaring back at her. Her fingers ran upon it, asking herself if maybe it was--

Out of nowhere a fugitive vision like image played in front of her eyes, sending the view of a neighbourhood then an apartment in the recesses of her mind once the picture registered in Akatsuya's grasp of such strange occurence. She blinked, staring back at the mark on her wrist. The outline of it appeared to pulse, similar to blood flow running through it under her skin.

She was familiar with the neighbourhood she envisioned involuntarilly, and she believed the vision must have been caused by the mark. His mark. It could lead her to him and though the idea sounded awfully absurd, Akatsuya let herself trust it as she begun walking, making her way torwards the center of Konoha which happened to be nearby.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

**103**

She stared at the number tag on the door, hand raising to knock. This was the apartment number she saw, in the apartment complex she saw. In her vision, that is. Akatsuya seriously hoped she hasn't gone insane from all the demon things she's went through so far and she hoped that once the door would open it'd be Gaara and not some stranger demanding why she randomly came at a person's apartment.

Her curiousity and torment went to a halt as the door opened wide and the familiar demon, indeed, steped forward to greet her clad in a casual shirt, sweatpants and with his red locks damp. Akatsuya didn't say anything, only gazing at him, and she couldn't decide whether her lack of speech had been caused by the simple fact of Gaara welcoming her arrival fresh from the shower, the masculine scent of shampoo, or, the worst, his deep jade orbs peering from under his semi wet hair.

"You." She finally regained her posture, casting him a glare. "I had nightmares and I nearly got kidnapped by two demons because of you; also you come in my home pretending to drink tea but then you actually put your blood in my cup so you can see me struggle in pain and to scar my wrist with your so called demon mark. And now guess what? I just found out this mark gives me hallucinations! The best part? The hallucinations are real!"

"Are you done?" Gaara's tone came out unaffected by her rant which the girl listed using her fingers, one by one. He merely looked at her in his usual expression.

"Yes, I'm done. For now." Akatsuya smiled sarcastically.

"And your point is...?"

"My point is that you marked me like some sort of possession through unorthodox methods that I didn't consent to and now it turns out the mark can show me where you are which means you can also feel and see wherever I am, is it?! I bet it is! Who knows, you might be able to use it even to control my body or some freaky shit."

"Is that so? You're smarter than I thought..." The faintests twitch of a smirk passed by Gaara's features.

"You threw my life in this mess, bastard."

"No, Akatsuya. _You_ threw yourself in this mess."

Even if Gaara did not show his mild anger torwards her, the brunette could feel his presence icing, tone changing. She realized he was right, very right, and regreted talking to him like that. She was the one who wanted to meet him, the one who made a deal with him. It was her own fault and like Hinata said she must accept her responsibilities and consequences.

"Get in. We need to talk..." Gaara turned his back on her and returned inside the apartment, snapping her out of her thoughts. His voice was no longer lenient, it was serious and distant.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"I think it's time for us to discuss the terms of our deal."

Akatsuya sat on the couch in his livingroom, silent, the cup of coffee on the table left untouched, Gaara by the window leaning against the wall. This was what she dreaded, the moment in which they'd get to unravel the mentioned matter. There were certain reasons why Akatsuya sought revenge on someone, and certain reasons why she couldn't afford sharing this secret with anyone, and especially not her friends: Naruto, Hinata and Sakura. She was not looking forward to divulging those reasons to Gaara and she promised herself to keep it that way.

"What's to talk about? I set you free, remember? You need to do your job and help me find the one I'm searching for and grant me my wish. Revenge."

"You're so blinded by your desire for revenge that you fail to watch yourself getting lost in darkness..."

"Is that supposed to make me feel bad? Because it doesn't work. Maybe you should try again."

She gasped at the sudden grip of sand around her waist, pulling her up from the couch and torwards Gaara at high speed. It stoped when she floated inches distance in front of him, the grasp of hardened grains still holding her up and off the ground.

"You should watch your attitude around me. Also, your intentions." His gaze bore into hers, eventually letting go of her without warning, causing the female to drop on the floor.

"Intentions? What intentions?" She chuckled, masking her trepidation to his increasing malice. She didn't bother to lift herself up, standing there on the floor under his sight, finding it much easier to deal with the demon's modestly flamboyant figure shadowing over her than his eyes up close and face to face.

"You hesitate. You refuse to reveal specific details. You try to avoid these same details. And most of all...you adopt an attitude that makes you insufferable to get what you want without having to explain yourself properly because you foolishly think this will shield you from people's scrutiny."

He was reading her. It frightened and infuriated her at the same time. Licking her lips to moist the dryness away, Akatsuya looked down.

"The person I must find is my father. His name is Renzo Kazami. He ran off two years ago and the police gave up when they found no traces of him; even so, I know he's not dead. I tried finding him myself. No luck, it's like he's a ghost in this world, he's there yet he's not. All you need to do is help me find him and kill him then you won't have to see me ever again."

Gaara appeared to ponder. In fact he was weighting her words in the balance of his thoughts, deepening his investigation upon Akatsuya. When he settled an order in his mind the red head crouched at her level, lowering his face to meet hers directly. He could hear her breath accelerating, brown orbs flickering with the need to look away.

"You're missing something."

"What?"

"There's something you're hiding from me. The reason of your revenge."

Akatsuya pushed herself backwards really slowly, intending to put some distance between them, although not wanting to aggravate him either. She could not escape those piercing pools of pale green, locking with her faltering stare.

"Please...don't ask why. You don't need to know. I won't tell you."

But Gaara didn't listen to her. He had the right to know, no, he wanted to know. Taking the liberty to inch closer, the male pinned her down through eye contact, demanding.

"I'll give you three days to tell me. If you don't...I _will_ find out."

It was a warning, a promise. Akatsuya narrowed her gaze, stubbornly defying his authority and capabilities. Eventhough she had no doubt he may find out the girl refused to give in under the pressure of his hardening orbs and demeanor. She will not tell him.

"Goodluck with that..." she trailed off in a short laughter, though not as snappy as before. She considered toning down her taunts because she didn't wish to trigger his anger.

"And can you come with me tonight to meet my friends? Naruto, my bestfriend, saw the mark and--"

"I know."

"...you know what?"

"When Naruto grabbed your hand to look at the mark he touched it. Whenever someone touches your wrist the mark alerts me of where you are and who is around you, and what is happening to you."

She stood up, pointing at him accusingly. "This- This is outrageous. You're basicaly stalking me without even trying!"

"You did say my mark may be able to do many things, didn't you?" Gaara seemed to throw her that faint ghost of a smirk again, earning a glare from her.

"Don't act smug, Gaara. It doesn't suit you and it gives me the creeps."

"Are you always this childish, Akatsuya?"

"Childish? What is wrong with you?!" Akatsuya burst. "I am not childish, you--"

"I'll come."

"What did you say?" She raised an eyebrow, pausing in her fit of annoyance.

"I said..." Gaara looked at her as if tired by her mere company. "That I'll come with you to Lotus Paradise."

"Oh..." she nodded dumbly, the lack of her focus coming from the idea that she didn't expect him to agree to Naruto's invitation.

Gaara shook his head to himself. Why out of all humans he got this one to struck a deal with - it was beyond him. She was simultaneously intriguing and unnerving.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Gaara is hot."

"I agree..."

"No, Hinata! Don't encourage her!"

"He _is_ hot, Akatsuya. Why won't you admit?!"

"Because...ugh! Quit it, Sakura! Gaara might be hot but he's a freaking dem--" she cut herself off before the entire word could escape her lips by accident, pressing her palm against her mouth to cover it.

"I mean...a freaking dem- dement but on the nice side, maybe?" She corrected herself randomly, laughing it off.

"You admited he's hot in the end." Sakura smirked.

"Keyword: might be! There's a difference!" The brown haired girl yelled, denying.

Things were going smoothly so far, save for Sakura's teasing. Akatsuya was worried when she left Gaara with Naruto by the bar after they'd done the introductions, being dragged by her pink haired friend on the dancefloor, Hinata tagging along. She feared Gaara will uncover his nature to Naruto or their deal. Though as the three girls hung out on the dancefloor, half heartedly moving to the rhythm of the music for the sake of it, Akatsuya saw that the two males were keeping their menace to themselves, appearing to talk normally, or atleast so it seemed.

"Look at them. Chances are they're going to punch each other at any given moment, but let's hope not." Sakura chuckles, gesturing torwards the odd pair by the bar.

"I don't think it'll happen. Naruto-kun wouldn't fight unless he has a good reason to..." Hinata's naturally shy and quite voice commented.

"I wouldn't put my money on that. And besides, I don't trust Gaara to be the epitome of calm either." came Akatsuya's concerned tone at last.

"Hey ladies. You don't mind if I steal your friend over here for a bit, yeah?" A foreign voice joined in out of nowhere, surprising Akatsuya when it echoed over the music right next to her ear and soon after an arm wrapping loosely around her neck from behind to bring her closer to a chest. She breathed in, not really prepared for the aproach and she frowned slightly. It was definitely a male voice.

"I think it's up to her. I-If she's okay with it..." Hinata responded, although Sakura linked arms with her and grinned, nodding.

"We don't mind as long as you give her back."

"Don't worry, I'll just borrow a dance from her. And maybe a kiss, hmm."

Akatsuya glanced at Sakura with a tint of indignation at her betrayal, feeling herself tensing up at the guy behind her and the pinkette leaving with a hesitant Hyuuga. Hinata understood her friend's anxienty; Sakura, on the other hand, would always intend to get Akatsuya to have fun, claiming the girl is too anti-social.

"Yes to the dance, no to the kiss." She turns around to face the male with a challenging smile, bracing herself to pose as daring as possible.

He was handsome - she had to give him that. Despite his long blonde hair which brought a feminine influence upon him, the guy's blue eyes, distinct features and the smirk gracing his lips made up for his air of boyish appearance, as well as his figure overall.

"Also, keep your hands to yourself." She snapped out of staring at him when his hands fell onto her hips too pressingly. Grasping his wrists she placed his hands back up on her waist. "Don't get your hopes too high. It's just a dance." Akatsuya added with a grin.

"Aren't you a feisty one, hmm? I like you." The blond narrowed his visible eye at her, the other hidden behind his hair.

She felt like congratulating herself, this was probably the longest conversation of flirting she's ever done. Akatsuya laughed and shook her head.

"Let's see if I'll like you too. What's your name?"

"Call me Deidara, yeah. How about you, beautiful?"

"Akatsuya." She replied, unable to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"Now I can put a name to that nice face of yours." Deidara sent her a sloppy smile, pulling her closer. There was a glint in his gaze, a change. As if he's found what he was looking for.

"Say, Akatsuya." he leaned in to whisper. "Your family name is Kazami, yeah? Be sweet and come with me or I'll have to do it the hard way. I don't want to do that so don't force me to."

She froze. For a fraction the brunette panicked, gazing back at him with apprehension. Akatsuya then perceived the danger she was in and pushed him away, turning around to rush torwards the bar.

Deidara huffed as he gripped her from behind, wrapping his arms around her in order to manhandle the protesting female from escaping. "We don't have to do this. Just come with me."

"No! Let me go! I swear I'll--"

Deidara chuckled, blocking her elbow from hitting his stomach. "You'll do what, hmm? Go on, struggle all you want."

It was useless. Kicking around didn't get her anywhere and Akatsuya found her last resort to be screaming. Yet, the instant her mouth opened his hand covered it. The people around were too busy grinding against each other and dancing to notice what was transpiring and the beginning of spinning blue and red neon wouldn't help much either. Akatsuya was starting to sense herself stressing over her inability to break free, thinking of a solution, anything to--

_"...Whenever someone touches your wrist the mark alerts me of where you are and who is around you, and what is happening to you."_

The mark. Recalling Gaara's words she didn't think twice before trying her luck. Squirming to get her left wrist near Deidara's hand, Akatsuya touched the skin where the black mark stood against his palm, waiting; if what Gaara said would be true then he'd envision this in a matter of seconds.

"See, it's so much better when you're calm, yeah? It makes you less annoying." Deidara teased, winning another attempted blow from her in the ribs.

"Stop it, idiot. It's not like you can do anything, you--"

"She can't but I can."

Relief washed over her at the sound of Gaara's raspy tone laced with protectiveneness, posessiveness and anger all at once. Turning her head to the side to watch the red head standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, Akatsuya begun wiggling harder in Deidara's grasp. She bit down on his palm only to get her arm strangled in his hold as payback. He did not let go.

"You had to show up, huh." The blond scoffed. "Okay, let's go outside to settle this. I'll make sure to kill two birds with one stone." A new smirk curled on his visage.

"Let her go. Now." Gaara demanded, sand appearing at Deidara's feet before it climbed up over his body and centered onto the arm he held Akatsuya with.

Deidara frowned at the constricting pain blooming in his arm, the sand's pressure close to crushing his flesh. Retracting his other hand from the girl's mouth, the blond dug in his pocket and pulled out a white spider like item, by the looks of it made of clay, turning it around so Akatsuya could see the underside of the object. There was explosive inside it.

"You wouldn't..." she breathed out, looking around at the clueless people. She gave up on struggling, too cautious to even move in Deidara's grip.

"Oh, I would, trust me." He chuckled in her ear.

The moment he threw that thing up in the air Akatsuya saw his hand motioning to the clay spider, the flash of an ignating blast tickling in the texture of it. She squeezed her eyes shut, however...

"You bastard!" Deidara's voice made her open her eyes, registering that there was a small ball of sand in Gaara's palm and his expression was hardened, similar to straining himself to exert concentration.

"Leave." The red head suggested strictly, his other hand manipulating the sand around Deidara's arm to tighten in grip and uncoil him from the brown haired female.

"This is not over. Just you wait, yeah. We'll get her next time for sure." The male smirked and let go of Akatsuya, the sand vanishing as the intruder lost himself within the crowd.

"Did you- is that the spider thingie inside?" Akatsuya looked at the ball of sand he clutched in between his fingers, noticing the sweat staining Gaara's forhead from focusing on the sphere. He nodded vaguely before he too blended in with the crowd and left her there. Akatsuya saw him exiting the club at some point and figured he must've needed to take the blasting spider out before it broke his barrier of sand.

"Goddamn it.." she gripped at her hair and returned to the bar, masking the tremble of her hands and her half sick adrenaline - half numbed panic mix of turmoil.

"Yo, Aka-chan!" Naruto threw an arm around her neck, laughing drunkly.

"You promised free drinks, yes?" She smirked and nudged his side. She had to drink something to somehow get over this.

"That's right, here ya go." Naruto slurred and handed her a glass with a big grin.

"Akatsuya..." Hinata frowned next to her. She was the one sober out of the trio, Naruto already drunk and Sakura catching up to him as she talked and drank with a bartender.

"Is- Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Hina-chan. I'm fine- everything's fine." She broke into a small, toneless chuckle at her own lie.

Akatsuya sighed. Shaking her head, she decided to follow her friends's example and get drunk, to forget her problems for awhile. And so she finished the glass quickly, then she asked for another.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"I dare you...to kiss Gaara!"

In spite of scoring past the limit of just tipsy, Akatsuya's orbs rounded at what an equally drunk Sakura whispered in her ear. From one glass the brunette went to three and somewhere along the lines her pink haired friend insisted that the three girls should play truth or dare. Naruto was at the bathroom currently and Gaara stood a few stools farther from them, scanning the crowd boredly.

"I don't know..." she mumbled. Yes, the alcohol boosted her bold and daring self tho Akatsuya felt hesitant.

"You never backed out of dares, Aka-chan." Sakura giggled, slapping her shoulder lightly. "What's the matter, scared?"

She frowned, displeased by the pinkette's taunt.

"Don't mind her. I think it's best if you two stop the game, _and_ the drinks." Hinata, who's stayed away from drinking since she isn't the type to enjoy alcohol, patted Akatsuya on the shoulder. The girl, however, smirked at Sakura and pushed Hinata away, a defiant look upon her visage.

"Watch me." Akatsuya sneered at the Haruno. On the outside she became accustomed with playing bold; on the inside, she wanted nothing but to hide in a hole and never come out. Nonetheless, she did go to Gaara, resting her hands on his shoulders with a small drunken grin at how he tensed under her mere touch.

"Sorry in advance. I just need to do something quick...okay?"

"What is it?" His voice was low, barely a whisper, pale jade gaze questioning her actions.

She didn't answer. Instead, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his, her half opened orbs trailing the shocked look he wore, her hands feeling him stiffen. The kiss, fugitive as it was, lasted for a fraction before Akatsuya's senses reacted to something strange. Her body begun getting weakened unknowngly, her eyelids begging to close. Her heartbeat increased, breath stuck in her throat, like something was absorbing her vitality at a fast pace. She was oddly thankful when Gaara's fingers tangled in her hair, jerking her away from him the second he realized what she's done, or rather what he did.

"Don't touch me."

It sounded full of repulsion and resentment but the edge to his voice and the dull, guilty gleam in his orbs proved to direct those emotions torwards himself and not her. Gaara knew it was his fault; he could dechipher the life force within her body transfering into his system as the exchange occured through his demonic nature sucking in her energy by the touch of her lips onto his. Each and every demon had been cursed to harm and ultimately kill whatever human would get involved with them romantically if the said human is their deal, draining them of life with even the smallest intimate touch. They can have intercourses with any human as long as that person is not the one the demon makes a deal with. This law had been created in order to prevent the risk of hybrid offsprings, half demon - half human children, triggered by the frequency of demons and the humans they made pacts with falling in love, in the past. Some believe that this ordeal would be broken only if the human is strong enough to overcome the demon's effect through sheer will power or extensive training, though it had not been deemed as true yet.

Akatsuya lost the strength to hold herself up and she slumped against the first person who hurried there - Hinata. She chose to evade Gaara's glance and simply let the dark blue haired female support her lethargic form.

"W-What happened?!" Hinata gasped, searching for answers in Gaara's presence. She held her tired friend with a bit of difficulty, managing to keep Akatsuya from falling down.

"She needs to rest..." Gaara responded calmly. "You should bring her home." he adviced, not trusting himself with Akatsuya without hurting her again, unwillingly.

"Alright.." Hinata glimpsed at him suspiciously, frowning. Alas, she drew Akatsuya's arm around her neck and held her middle to help her walk, telling Sakura to go get Naruto as she passed by the shocked pinkette. Gaara surveyed them leaving, his stare fixed on Akatsuya's back to--

His sight caught view of a few faded scars inked into the skin of her lower back due to her shirt riding up slightly from the girl's disheveled state in which she was half dragged by Hinata. Gaara's stare stilled at the accidental discovery. He couldn't tell the exact texture of those potentially long forgotten bruises from that distance but one thing was for sure.

There was more to Akatsuya's thirst for revenge than just a simple reason.


End file.
